As a new crop of politicians renew talk of building a four-lane expressway between Freeport and Galena to replace the two-lane U.S. 20, it would be well for everyone to take a deep breath and put this talk in perspective.

Planning for a four-lane U.S. 20 started at the state highway department in the late 1930s. It was interrupted by World War II. After the war, the plans stayed in hibernation, but in the “Fabulous ‘50s,” with the booming nation in a road-building frenzy, planning for the freeway began again.

And again. And again. And again. Why, it’s still being planned! Here’s a selection of the many stories from our electronic archives, detailing some of the planning. Enjoy, U.S. 20 fans!

“The U.S. Grant Highway (U.S. Highway 20) is to be the dream thoroughfare of the future according to engineers who are making the survey for the modernization of this cross-country artery.” Rockford Register Republic, Dec. 25, 1956.

“Early next year Illinois legislators will be asked to approve a plan that will make it possible for a motorist to drive from Rockford to Dubuque, Iowa without taking his foot off the gas.” — Rockford Register Republic, April 5, 1966.

“Included in the first phase of the supplementary freeway system outlined by (Gov. Richard) Ogilvie would be ... a four-lane replacement for U.S. 20 between Rockford and Dubuque.” — Rockford Register Star, Feb. 17, 1971.

“(East Dubuque) leaders have pleaded with politicians from both states (Illinois and Iowa) to make the Dubuque bridge a four-lane affair and to widen U.S. 20 to four lanes from Freeport to Galena, where it becomes four lanes again.” — Rockford Register Star, Aug. 24, 1990.

“Today: Illinois Dept. of Transportation’s Agriculture Work Group: 7 to 10 p.m., Lena Community Center, Lena. One of several subcommittee meetings with farmers affected by the proposed four-lane expressway (U.S. 20) from Galena to Freeport, Highway segment, from Stephenson/Jo Daviess County line east to the Freeport bypass.” — Rockford Register Star, Feb. 1, 1996.

“Transportation officials said the 47 mile stretch of U.S. 20 between Freeport and Galena needs to be widened to four lanes to handle increasingly heavy traffic.” — Rockford Register Star, Jan. 4, 1999.

“After decades of waiting, an expansion of U.S. 20 to a four-lane highway is on the horizon. Bring on the backhoes.” — Rockford Register Star, May 10, 2000.

“A state transportation official gave local leaders Monday a grim forecast for the future of U.S. 20 between Freeport and Galena. Tim Martin, Illinois Department of Transportation secretary, refused to make promises that he knows state and federal officials can’t keep while they face budget cuts. The highway’s future, he said, is unknown.” — Rockford Register Star, Aug. 19, 2003.

Page 2 of 2 - “Freeport Mayor Jim Gitz recites statistics and numbers for U.S. 20 expansion plans from memory. He’s been working on the project that long. That’s why he’s eager to see the expansion move forward starting with construction of the Freeport bypass.” — Rockford Register Star, Nov. 10, 2003.

“After 30 years of trying in vain to get funding for a four-lane freeway from Galena to Freeport, the U.S. 20 Coalition has started talking tollway.” — Rockford Register Star, May 20, 2012.

In addition to the passenger train promised by Gov. Pat Quinn that never seems to be close to arriving, the four-lane highway through northwest Illinois never seems to arrive, either.

It’s clear to me that what we have here is a portion of Illinois left to economic stagnation by the officials in Springfield and in Washington, D.C. This land is, simply put, “Northwest Forgotonia.”